Chapter 161: Is Qin He More Important, or the Child?

Cui Shi scolded Qin He until she was utterly disgraced and humiliated; Qin He was extremely ashamed and indignant.

"You fool, your heart and eyes are filled only with yourself." Cui Shi, still not satisfied, continued: "You go around shouting about 'one life, one pair,' stop daydreaming. In Great Yan—no, in this entire cultivation realm—there is no such thing as 'one life, one pair,' especially in noble, powerful clans. Unless it's a small, poor household that can't afford a concubine, would you be willing to marry into that? Your eyes are filled with this Heir Apparent and that Heir Apparent; you don't even glance at small, poor households. You are snobbish, wanting only to marry into high-ranking families, yet you still delusionally hope for 'one life, one pair'? Do you have that kind of fate?"

Qin He was grief-stricken and indignant, feeling that her stepmother was biased against her. How could she say such things? Qin He said loudly: "Why don't I have that fate? Heir He promised me 'one life, one pair.' It is he who failed me; he didn't keep his word."

Here she goes again. Cui Shi was so angry that the veins on her forehead were throbbing. She slapped the table and said: "Fine, you're challenging me, aren't you? Go find Heir He. I'll send people to follow you. I want to see for myself if Heir He truly promised you 'one life, one pair.'"

Who is Heir He? Cui Shi came from a prestigious, noble family; she was crystal clear about this in her heart.

A man who became a powerful official in Great Yan—if Heir He had truly promised Qin He 'one life, one pair,' he would not have married Qin Bi, even if it were just to pave the way for Qin He.

Qin He was very confident: "I will definitely go and ask."

Cui Shi stood up and pointed outside the door: "Go now."

Only then did Qin He realize the situation. She hesitated and said: "I'll go another day."

"There is no time like the present; go now." Cui Shi possessed the full demeanor of a mistress of the house, not allowing her stepdaughter to provoke her. Cui Shi said: "The He clan members are all there right now. You say Heir He is deeply affectionate toward you, so go and ask him. Since he promised you 'one life, one pair,' why did he get married, and why, after getting married and having a child, should he not have remained chaste for you?"

How ridiculous, that one cannot have children after getting married.

Qin He wanted to turn around proudly and go to the Yan Guogong Fu, but her feet didn't move. She made excuses: "My mother-in-law said that I should go to the Yan Guogong Fu in a few days, and I am not allowed to go before then."

Cui Shi swept a look of contempt at Qin He, sat down, and said: "I am suggesting that you go and ask right now, in front of the He clan members. It would also show how much weight you carry in Heir He's heart, and let everyone see whether you are more important, or the child."

If Heir He were truly as Qin He described, obedient to her every wish, the entire Yan Guogong Fu would also stand up to protect Rong Yang's status. But would Heir He truly disregard his only child in this life for Qin He's sake?

The answer is, are you joking?

"It's Qin Bi who is shameless." Qin He changed the subject, shouting angrily: "Secretly giving birth to Heir He's child."

Cui Shi chuckled, not angered, but asked with a cold sneer: "Xue Shizifei, is that any of your business? Qin Bi was the wife Heir He married through the front door in a sedan chair with twelve bearers at the time. The child Qin Bi gave birth to is Heir He's legitimate son. What is your Fubao? She doesn't even count as an illegitimate child, and you aren't even Heir He's mistress. You and Heir He never even had an engagement."

They had two engagements, neither of which succeeded; if it didn't succeed, it doesn't count.

Qin He was extremely ashamed and annoyed. Cui Shi's expression changed; she lowered her face and said sternly: "You keep harping on about 'one life, one pair,' have you achieved it yourself? You can't even do it yourself, so what face do you have to say others failed you? You earned a little silver and don't even know your own worth, yet you dare to demand this and that from a powerful official and Heir Apparent. You've been given too much face."

Qin He was scolded miserably. Cui Shi was furious and didn't leave Qin He any face at all, scolding her until she was full of humiliation. With a pale face, she fled in a panic. Once she left Cui Shi's courtyard, Qin He burst into tears.

Her younger half-sisters and Qin Han saw this and asked with concern what was wrong with Qin He.

Qin He wiped away her tears and had to force a smile. The things Cui Shi scolded her with absolutely could not be spread; otherwise, what face would she have among her sisters? After giving a perfunctory reply, Qin He left in a hurry.

When Qin He returned to the Xue Wang Fu, the Xue Shizi saw Qin He's red eyes and asked: "Who bullied you?"

"No one." Qin He revealed a smile and brushed it off: "My stepmother scolded me a couple of times."

The Xue Shizi was also helpless: "You should go to your maiden home less often in the future."

How could Qin He not go to the Qin Yan Hou Fu? She hurriedly said: "It is right for my mother to scold me."

That wasn't it at all. Qin He hated it to death. What did Cui Shi understand? An ancient woman simply didn't understand what 'one life, one pair' meant. Cui Shi also didn't understand Heir He's deep affection for her.

Qin He had things on her mind and didn't even have time to take care of the child.

Qin He dumped her legitimate son on the Xue Shizi. The Xue Shizi was miserable; what family's Heir Apparent would raise a child himself? Qin He was the same; raising a child could be left to the servants, why do it personally?

On the other side, Qin Han returned home, looking burdened.

Jiang Mo asked her: "What's wrong?"

Qin Han told him that Rong Yang was Heir He's child. Jiang Mo was stunned and said after a long while: "You didn't get involved with Qin He, did you? Everything Qin He does is for the benefit of the Xue Wang Fu; let's not get involved."

The Jiang family were merchants with a weak family background; they didn't have the confidence to make a scene like Qin He.

Heir He had feelings for Qin He, but he certainly didn't have them for them.

Qin Han nodded: "I know. If I had known Qin He cared so much about Heir He having a child, I wouldn't have returned to the Qin Yan Hou Fu."

Great Yan's forty points of fortune and luck were flickering. The Great Yan Emperor was in a good mood and rewarded Qin Bi heavily again. The Chancellor personally went to the Rong Wang Fu, and the Rong Shizi held his young son to meet the Chancellor.

The Chancellor glanced at the little Tuanzi who was babbling and probed: "Rong Shizi, is this your legitimate eldest son, or your legitimate second son?"

The Rong Shizi lifted his eyelids to glance at the Chancellor, lowered his head to shield the child from the sun, and with great patience, said: "Rong Yang is my eldest son, and Rong Chi is my second son."

The Chancellor was startled, then immediately understood the meaning behind these words. Rong Yang was still the Rong Shizi's child, and the position of eldest son still belonged to the little Junzhu Rong Yang. Furthermore, where there is a legitimate wife, there will be concubines; where there are legitimate sons, there will be illegitimate sons.

As far as the Rong Shizi was concerned, he only had one wife, the Rong Shizifei.

Of course, the children born to the Rong Shizifei were legitimate sons; there were no concubines or illegitimate sons, so they were also legitimate sons. But for the Rong Shizi to deliberately mention it this way was to state his attitude.

The Chancellor nodded. The Rong Shizi protected his wife and children so well; he was much better than that Xue Shizifei who shouted about 'one life, one pair' all day long. The Chancellor gave the little Tuanzi a small jade pendant and returned to the palace to report.

Two days later, Qin He brought Fubao and carried her legitimate son to the Yan Guogong Fu.

The Xue Wang Fei felt it wasn't appropriate to go yet, but Qin He couldn't wait any longer. If she waited any longer, she would be stifled to death. Besides, she couldn't let her stepmother Cui Shi look down on her.

Cui Shi was certain she wouldn't dare to go find Heir He, so Qin He had to do it to show Cui Shi.

In Heir He's eyes, she, Qin He, was different.

Once she saw Heir He, let's see if Cui Shi would still look down on her. ===== CHAPTER 162 =====